8 FOXHUNTING ON LAKELAND FELLS 



The mist was rising from the lower slopes like a 

 grey curtain, while the sun shone against my back, 

 throwing my shadow on to the screen of vapour. 

 There it became enlarged to enormous proportions, 

 and as I moved the huge shadowy giant aped my 

 actions, until I began to think I was " seeing 

 things." 



I have at times seen some extraordinarily fine 

 rainbow effects amongst the crags, just as the rain 

 began to cease and the sun broke through the 

 clouds. 



Next to mist, rain and wind, particularly the 

 latter, handicap followers of the fell hounds. 

 Rain wets you through, but you don't mind that ; 

 it is all in the day's work, but when it is combined 

 with a driving wind which stops your breath and 

 all but lifts you off your feet it becomes rather 

 too much of a good thing. Once on Wetherlam 

 I saw two coupled terriers lifted bodily off the 

 ground by the wind, and the huntsman's cap 

 suddenly left his head and departed swiftly into 

 thin air. If it be freezing at such times your 

 clothing, eyelashes, etc., become coated with hoar- 

 frost, and the icy blast penetrates to your very 

 marrow. In the face of such a wind you have to 

 constantly turn round to get your breath, and all 

 sounds beyond the shriek of the gale are obliterated. 



Shelter where and how you wiU, and strain 

 your ears to the uttermost, it is impossible to hear 



